On this page

The short answer
The four-check framework
The decision tree
When each method wins
Three times the industry oversells you
What to ask any contractor
What each answer costs here

The short answer

A large share of the driveway problems Treasure Coast homeowners describe — settled slabs, isolated cracks, minor spalling — do not require a full replacement. Settlement is a foundation problem, not a concrete problem: if the slab itself is intact and just dropped because the soil underneath moved, lifting it from below fixes the actual problem at a fraction of the cost. Replacement is the right answer only when the slab itself is finished — extensively cracked through, spalled across most of its surface, or sitting on a base that can't be stabilized.

Our bias, stated plainly: this guide will sometimes tell you to spend less than a contractor would like. A replacement contractor will never talk you out of a full pour. We have no pours to sell. That asymmetry is the entire reason this page exists.

The four-check framework

Work through these in order. Each check narrows the options. By check four, most driveways land on a clear answer.

Check 1 — Measure the settlement

Lay a straight 6-foot board (or a taut string line) across the slab joints and measure the drop with a tape. Don't eyeball it — a quarter-inch looks dramatic from the curb.

Under 1 inch: usually cosmetic. Grinding, caulking, or simply monitoring are reasonable. Lifting is hard to justify economically.
1 to 3 inches: the lifting sweet spot. Both mudjacking and polyurethane injection are designed exactly for this range.
Over 3 inches: get a professional assessment of the subgrade before choosing anything. Lifting can still work, but large voids or ongoing soil movement need diagnosis first — see why driveways sink.

Check 2 — Classify the cracks

Cracks tell you whether the slab is broken or just moved.

Hairline (under ~1/8") in an otherwise flat slab: usually shrinkage from curing. Seal it, watch it. Not a replacement trigger.
Single wide crack following a joint line: often settlement-related — the slab is intact but dropped. This is a lifting candidate.
Map cracking / crazing across large areas: surface failure, often from a bad mix or freeze exposure during the pour. If it's widespread, resurfacing is cosmetic cover-up; replacement of the affected panels is the honest fix.
Cracks that offset vertically (one side higher) or that keep growing month to month: structural movement. Stabilize the base first; lifting without addressing the cause is a recurring bill.

Check 3 — Check what's underneath

This is the check most quotes skip, and it's the one that matters most in Florida. Tap the settled area firmly with a hammer handle or broomstick:

Solid thunk: the slab is still supported — the soil compressed rather than washed away. Mudjacking works well here.
Hollow drum sound: there's a void. In Florida that usually means storm water or irrigation washed the sandy base out from under the slab. Polyurethane foam excels here — it fills the void and lifts, and it won't wash out the way cement slurry can.
Water ponding or mud pumping up through cracks: you have an active drainage problem. Fix the water first. Lifting a slab over an unresolved washout is buying the same repair twice.

Check 4 — Judge the surface and the age

Concrete driveways in Florida typically last 25–35 years with reasonable care. If yours is past 30 and more than a third of its panels are cracked, spalled, or repaired already, you're maintaining a driveway that's done — replacement stops being the expensive option and becomes the cheap one compared to a decade of patch bills.

The decision tree

1. Is the settlement under ~1" with only hairline cracks?

→ REPAIR (minor). Seal cracks, grind trip edges, monitor. No contractor needed yet — or a small crack-repair job ($200–$1,020 band in Fort Pierce per homeyou).

2. Has the slab dropped 1–3" but stayed in one piece?

→ LIFT IT. Mudjacking if the soil is firm and budget is tight; polyurethane injection if there's a void, poor soil, or you need to drive on it today. Replacement here is overselling — this is the industry's favorite upsell, and it's wrong.

3. Is water actively washing soil out from under the slab?

→ FIX DRAINAGE FIRST, then lift. Regrade, extend downspouts, fix the irrigation leak. Then polyurethane (washout-resistant) over mudjacking.

4. Is the surface flaking/spalling across most panels, or is the driveway 30+ years old with widespread cracking?

→ REPLACE. Resurfacing over widespread spalling fails fast — the bond goes onto dying concrete. This is the one case where the replacement contractor was right.

5. Only one or two panels are bad and the rest are fine?

→ PARTIAL REPLACEMENT. Saw-cut and replace just the failed panels. Far cheaper than a full rip-out, and honest contractors will offer it.

6. Tree roots have heaved or shattered the slab?

→ REPLACE (with root work). Lifting doesn't fix roots, and roots don't stop growing. Remove or barrier the roots, then re-pour.

When each method wins — honestly

Method	Wins when…	Loses when…
Mudjacking	Firm, stable soil · budget matters most · large areas where precision is less critical · you can wait a day or two before heavy use	Active washout/voids (slurry can wash out) · very soft or saturated Florida soil (adds ~100 lbs/cu ft of weight to already-weak ground) · you need to drive on it today
Polyurethane injection	Voids under the slab · poor, sandy, or wet soil (foam is ~2 lbs/cu ft — it doesn't add load) · precision leveling · same-day use · waterproof, washout-resistant fill	Budget is the deciding factor (it costs more) · extremely large commercial-scale lifts where mudjacking's economics win
Resurfacing / overlay	Slab is structurally sound but ugly — stains, minor pitting, light surface wear · you want a cosmetic reset	Widespread spalling or structural cracking — the overlay bonds to failing concrete and fails with it · active settlement (it doesn't lift)
Partial replacement	One or two panels are destroyed and the rest are healthy · root damage localized to one area	The "bad" panels are actually symptoms of a base problem affecting the whole drive — replacing panels over a failed base repeats the failure
Full replacement	Widespread structural failure · advanced spalling · 30+ year driveway at end of life · drainage or elevation redesign needed anyway	Simple settlement of intact slabs — this is the oversell. A lift costing a few thousand fixes what a full replacement, costing several times more, also fixes.

Full technical breakdown: mudjacking vs polyurethane vs resurfacing in Florida →

Three times the industry oversells you

1. "It needs to be replaced" — for settled-but-intact slabs

The most common oversell. A slab that dropped two inches after a storm is a lifting job, not a pouring job. Replacement contractors quote the pour because that's what they sell. Get a lifting quote for the same driveway before you decide — the gap is usually thousands.

2. Crack-filling sold as a structural fix

Epoxy injection and caulk stop water and look better, but they do nothing for a slab that's still sinking. If a quote treats cracks without mentioning what's happening under the slab, it's cosmetics — ask about voids and soil before you pay.

3. Full replacement when two panels would do

If 80% of your driveway is healthy, saw-cutting and replacing the failed panels is legitimate and far cheaper. Contractors who only quote full replacements are quoting their convenience, not your need.

The mirror image matters too: lifting is also oversold. Foam injection over an unresolved drainage problem, or mudjacking onto soil that's still consolidating, buys you a repeat visit. The honest answer is sometimes "fix the water first, then call us back."

What to ask any contractor (method-neutral questions)

These questions work no matter which method you're quoted — and the answers separate professionals from salesmen:

"What caused this, specifically?" — If they can't name the mechanism (washout, consolidation, roots), they're guessing at the fix.
"Why this method and not the alternative?" — A mudjacker who can't explain when foam would be better (or vice versa) sells one tool.
"What happens to the cause?" — Lifting treats the symptom. What stops it happening again?
"What's the warranty, exactly?" — Lift warranty vs. workmanship warranty are different things. Get it in writing, and ask what voids it.
"Can you show me a driveway like mine that you fixed 2+ years ago?" — Recent before/afters are marketing. Two-year-old work is evidence.

More on vetting: permits, timelines, warranties, and hiring →

What each answer costs in the Treasure Coast

Crack / surface repair: $200–$1,020 in Fort Pierce (homeyou, aggregator-reported)
Slab lifting: $395–$4,461, avg ~$2,036 (aqualityassured, updated 04/08/2026); Florida contractor bands: void fill $800–$2,000, full slab lift $2,000–$5,500
Leveling ~215 sq ft: $741–$861 (homeyou, aggregator-reported)
Full replacement: the most variable — get three quotes; replacement is where the honest bands break down and contractor-specific pricing takes over

Full cost guide with sources →

Repair or replace your driveway? The honest decision guide